Creed actor Michael B. Jordan is bowing to the woke mob and changing the name of his rum company because people online say it’s guilty of cultural appropriation.
So much for the masculine energy he exudes on camera. On this issue Jordan crumpled up like his onscreen father did when he faced Ivan Drago in Rocky IV.
The Hollywood Reporter broke the news on June 23 that the Hollywood A-lister became the latest famous casualty to the woke mob. No shocker there. But the situation is still pathetic. According to THR, Jordan told Instagram users that he was in the process of “renaming” his Caribbean rum company after a bevy of social media complaints that the original name “J’Ouvert” was appropriating a local ethnic holiday.
“We hear you. I hear you & want to be clear that we are in the process of renaming. We sincerely apologize & look forward to introducing a brand we can all be proud of,” Jordan groveled. Criticism for his company’s name snowballed online because, as some very territorial obscure holiday enthusiasts pointed out, “J’Ouvert” is the name of a Trinidad and Tobago holiday that celebrated the emancipation of slaves in the area.
THR explained that it’s “the name of an annual celebration originating in Trinidad and Tobago that celebrates emancipation from slavery and the start of Carnival.” Oh no, Jordan. In your quest to find something Caribbean-themed for your brand, you rudely stumbled upon something … Caribbean. GASP.
Yeah, it’s really stupid. But the ever-tightening rules of wokeness give the Twitter mob the right to shut you down, or at least force you to spend a ton more money trying to replace “J’Ouvert” on all your merchandising.
For many of Michael B. Jordan’s social media critics, his brand showcased a “lack of connection between its public-facing figures and Caribbean culture.” It seems Jordan isn’t Caribbean enough to use Caribbean words for his Caribbean rum. So why is he still making Caribbean rum in the first place?
Apparently one authentically Caribbean American entertainer weighed in on the issue. Rapper Nicki Minaj, who is also Trinidadian, came to Jordan’s defense but also insisted he rename the brand. She stated, “I’m sure MBJ didn’t intentionally do anything he thought Caribbean ppl would find offensive — but now that you are aware, change the name & continue to flourish & prosper.”
In addition to that judgement from the intellectual heavyweight who wrote the song “Stupid Hoe,” some 12,000 people signed a petition to get “J’Ouvert” to ditch the name. “MBJ” apologized, saying on his Instagram page, “just wanna say on behalf of myself & my partners, our intention was never to offend or hurt a culture (we love & respect) & hoped to celebrate & shine a positive light on.”
Well, Jordan could have kept the name, spread the awareness of a rich cultural holiday, and donated proceeds to impoverished Jamaican communities, but NO, he’ll just leave “J’Ouvert” in obscurity. Sorry, MBJ, the wokesters “must break you.”
